Hawthorn sealed a thrilling three-point win over top-four contenders Adelaide to re-affirm their AFL premiership credentials on a cold wintery Friday night in Launceston.

A largely error-ridden match in dewy conditions at UTAS Stadium quickly became dramatic when the Hawks, who had trailed for nearly the first 100 minutes of the game, hit the front in the last quarter.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Post-siren drama as Riley Thilthorpe pleads for 50-metre penalty.

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No goals were scored by either side for 44 minutes between the five-minute mark of the third quarter and the 18-minute mark of the last before a flurry of goals suddenly saw the lead change three times in the space of seven minutes, the last of which, from Jai Newcombe, proving the winner.

Hawthorn hung on for the next six minutes to notch their ninth win of the year and stay in touch with the top four — but they didn’t get there without a slice of controversy on the siren.

Crows forward Darcy Forgarty was awarded a free kick with just a couple of seconds left in the match, but didn’t immediately get the ball handed to him because Jack Ginnivan — advertently or inadvertently — knocked it away.

The siren then went, and Fogarty kicked the ball back to the umpire.

But his teammate Riley Thilthorpe saw something that no one else did. He went straight up to the officiating umpire and pled his case for what he thought should have been a 50-metre penalty, which would have put Fogarty within range of goals and a chance to win the game after the siren.

His protests fell on deaf ears though, and the result was sealed.

“There was a little moment of controversy in the aftermath — at least a moment of great displeasure or conjecture surrounding Riley Thilthorpe,” Alister Nicholson said.

“I saw him remonstrating with the umpires here. High contact free kick Fogarty. Now, Thilthorpe was saying to the umpire, I believe, afterwards, it should have been 50 metres.”

James Brayshaw added: “Yeah, because the ball was taken away from Fogarty.”

Nicholson said it would have been a tough call to make.

“I think that would have been a very tough penalty to pay in that scenario, but that’s certainly the case Thilthorpe’s trying to make here,” he said.

Newcombe tallied just five disposals in the opening two terms of Friday night’s clash under the tight attention of Sam Berry.

But the 23-year-old was in the right place at the right time when the game was up for grabs, with a Mabior Chol tap-on and a Jack Gunston handball finding Newcombe in the goal square for the go-ahead goal with less than four minutes remaining.

Hawthorn held on grimly from that point on to secure the 6.11 (47) to 5.14 (44) win.

The brave victory in cold and slippery conditions marked Hawthorn’s eighth straight win in Launceston and improved their season record to 9-5.

Adelaide slipped to 9-5, and they only had themselves to blame given they dominated for large parts of the game but failed to finish off their good work.

Taylor Walker and Thilthorpe kicked three behinds apiece, with Josh Rachele (0.2) also failing to score a goal.

Adelaide only kicked one major in the second half.

Jarman Impey was critical in Hawthorn’s victory with 28 disposals and 756m gained, while Jack Gunston kicked two goals and set up Newcombe for the match-winner.

Newcombe only finished with 15 disposals and three clearances, but his team walked away with the win.

Adelaide dominated a host of key stats in the opening quarter, winning the inside 50m battle 18-9, clearances 11-6 and contested possessions 44-31 on the way to a two-goals-to-nil term.

Isaac Cumming’s one-handed mark, which led to Adelaide’s second goal, and a brilliant chase-down tackle from Josh Worrell on Hawthorn’s Nick Watson were the biggest highlights.

Hawthorn were error-riddled and second to the ball in the opening quarter, with Newcombe restricted to just two disposals by Berry.

Gunston finally broke the Hawks’ goal drought early in the second quarter, and he also nailed a 45m set shot later in the term against the run of play to ensure the deficit was only 15 points at halftime.

Hawthorn lifted their intensity in the third quarter, and early goals to Connor Macdonald and Chol made it a one-kick game.

Adelaide were held goalless for the term, and it was just four points the margin at the final change.

Adelaide’s Mitch Hinge gave away a 50m penalty early in the last quarter and then was lucky not to give away another for headbutting Dylan Moore in the shoulder in a moment of madness.

Gunston missed three set shots in the last term — the third from just 30m out — before Impey’s surge forward set up Macdonald for a major.

That goal gave Hawthorn a three-point lead with seven minutes remaining, but Izak Rankine hit back a minute later with a brilliant checkside off the outside of his boot.

In a thrilling finish, Newcombe put Hawthorn back ahead, with the Crows’ desperate bid to snatch victory falling short.

- With AAP